Effects of chemical additives on microbial enhanced oil recovery processes

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5284479· OSTI ID:5284479

Bryant, R. S.; Chase, K. L.; Bertus, K. M.; Stepp, A. K.

An extensive laboratory study has been conducted to determine (1) the role of the microbial cells and products in oil displacement, (2) the relative rates of transport of microbial cells and chemical products from the metabolism of nutrient in porous media, and (3) the effects of chemical additives on the oil recovery efficiency of microbial formulations. This report describes experiments relating to the effects of additives on oil recovery efficiency of microbial formulations. The effects of additives on the oil recovery efficiency of microbial formulations were determined by conducting oil displacement experiments in 1-foot-long Berea sandstone cores. Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), a low-molecular-weight polyacrylamide polymer, a lignosulfonate surfactant, and sodium bicarbonate were added to a microbial formulation at a concentration of 1%. The effects of using these additives in a preflush prior to injection of the microbial formulation were also evaluated. Oil-displacement experiments with and without a sodium bicarbonate preflush were conducted in 4-foot-long Berea sandstone cores, and samples of in situ fluids were collected at various times at four intermediate points along the core. The concentrations of metabolic products and microbes in the fluid samples were determined. 9 refs., 22 figs., 8 tabs.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Bartlesville, OK (United States). National Inst. for Petroleum and Energy Research (NIPER)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/FE
• DOE Contract Number: FC22-83FE60149
• OSTI ID: 5284479
• Report Number(s): NIPER-442; ON: DE90000204
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
MICROBIAL EOR
ADDITIVES
BUFFERS
METABOLITES
MICROORGANISMS
SANDSTONES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
TRANSPORT
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production